2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner's Manual - Page 402

Secondary Latch System Your vehicle has an underbody mounted tire hoist assembly equipped with a secondary latch system. It's designed to stop the spare tire from suddenly falling off your vehicle. For the secondary latch to work, the spare must be installed with the valve stem pointing down. See "Storing a Flat or Spare Tire, Jack and Tools" earlier in this section. To release the spare tire from the secondary latch do the following: {CAUTION: Before beginning this procedure read all the instructions. Failure to read and follow the instructions could damage the hoist assembly and you and others could get hurt. Read and follow the instructions listed below. 1. Check under the vehicle to see if the cable end is visible. 2. If the cable is not visible proceed to Step 6. If it is visible, first try to tighten the cable by turning the wheel wrench clockwise until you hear two clicks or feel it skip twice. You cannot overtighten the cable. 3. Loosen the cable by turning the wrench counterclockwise three or four turns. 5-96